


If Not You Then Who?

by werewolfsaz



Series: Hooked [5]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Birthday Fluff, Boys being stupid in love, Fluff, Insecure Daryl, Light Angst, M/M, Merle Being an Asshole, Misunderstandings, Rick is a sweetheart really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 10:30:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5244950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/werewolfsaz/pseuds/werewolfsaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Daryl!” Merle’s voice boomed from the house.<br/>“What?” he yelled back, voice rough and rusty sounding from long disuse and unshed tears.<br/>“Get’cher ass in here!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Not You Then Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, I hope you're safe and well.   
> I felt the urge for some light angsty fluff and this was born. Next some birthday smut, I promise XD  
> Comments are always welcome :-)  
> Enjoy

Daryl was hurting. His chest felt hollow, the pieces of his shattered heart lodged painfully in his ribcage. The wrench slipped, gouging a chunk out of his hand but Daryl didn’t even flinch. He couldn’t feel anything but the uneven thump of his torn heart.  
“Daryl!” Merle’s voice boomed from the house.  
“What?” he yelled back, voice rough and rusty sounding from long disuse and unshed tears.  
“Get’cher ass in here!”

Sighing heavily, the dark haired teen threw the wrench down, wrapped the rag he kept in his back pocket around the bloody groove in his hand and stomped to the run down shack. He wasn’t in the mood for Merle right now. He’s barely spoken to his brother since he’s slept with Rick two weeks ago. And not at all in the last three days.

After the amazing afternoon and night he had shared with Rick, things had gotten weird. Rick was always busy, never had time to spend with Daryl, was distracted and distant at school. He was never in when Daryl called round, barely answered the phone and only sent back single word texts. When Daryl had finally caved, insecurities eating away at him like acid, he told Merle what had happened, blushing tomato red the whole time.

“I told ya that shithead townie would hurt ya,” the older Dixon grunted, swigging his beer. “You went and gave your ass up to the first guy that flashed you a smile...”  
“Weren’t like that!” Daryl snapped back. “He... Things were different between us. He was...” He couldn’t finish. What he had with Rick was personal, private, not to be poked fun of by Merle.  
“Well, sounds to me like he got what he wanted and now he don’t want you no more,” Merle shrugged back, flicking his eyes to his brother with a sneer. Daryl hadn’t seen the look or even really heard him over the sound of his shattering heart. Could it be true? Had Rick got what he wanted and was now avoiding Daryl?

He was so hurt, so broken, that he hadn’t gone to school. He had ignored Rick’s calls, hid whenever he saw him coming to the shack. He didn’t want Daryl anymore then that was just fine! Daryl would just ignore him, pretend nothing had ever happened between them. He’s work on his bike, go to work and figure out how to get outta this town just as soon as he could.

Stamping in to the house, Daryl wandered through to the living room, scowling. The house needed a tidy, laundry needed doing and he’d have to go to the store soon or they’d be eating squirrel again this week.  
“The fuck you want, Merle?” he spat, angry that everything was being left up to him even though his brother had nothing going on.  
“He wanted you to come talk to me,” a soft, smooth voice drawled.

Instantly Daryl’s broken heart mended, leaping in his chest as he looked into Rick’s brilliant blue eyes. Then he took in the rest of his face and frowned. Rick looked exhausted, huge brown smudges under eyes, skin pale and drawn. He had a bandage over his nose, the remnants of a black eye and a dark shadowing of stubble.  
“What the hell happened to you?” Daryl demanded harshly, moving towards Rick, momentarily forgetting his hurt in the face of his panic.  
“It ain’t nothing,” Rick dismissed with a tired smile. “The dangers of working.”

That made Daryl stop and frown again. Rick didn’t have a job, at least, he hadn’t a fortnight ago. Then Daryl remembered everything that had happened, the pain of being rejected, of being thrown aside after Rick had gotten his end away.  
“Too bad,” he commented gruffly, forcing himself back a few steps, folding his arms over his chest. “What do ya want?”  
Rick blinked at his icy tone, brow wrinkling as he took half a step forward, reaching out.  
“I came to apologise. I know I ain't been around much this last coupla weeks, I'm sure you probably think I'm a dick...."  
"You used me!" Daryl burst out, voice hoarse from raw emotion, eyes sparkling from tears he refused to shed.

Rick's eyes flew wide, mouth popping open in a shocked 'o'. He reached out, desperate to comfort his boyfriend.  
"Daryl... Baby, no!" he protested. "Never."  
"Well if you think you can just fuck around with me then dump me, you can fuck off," Daryl shouted, all his pain rising up his throat to pour out in his voice.  
"No, baby, I didn't," Rick swore, wringing his hands, shaking his head so hard his curls flew. "The reason I ain't been around is because I was working, any job I could, to save for your birthday."  
"So just turn around and... wait, what?" Daryl paused mid-rant, eyes going huge as he stared at the curly haired teen. "My birthday?"  
"Yeah," Rick replied, blushing hotly. "I wanted to get you the part you needed for your bike. And I... ummm..." He glanced up at Daryl, biting his plush lower lip. "I booked us a table at that new posh restaurant in town. And one of the cabins out in the woods."

It took Daryl several minutes to process what Rick had just said. Suddenly it all made sense, the distraction, always being out... Looking Rick over again, the redneck felt his heart melt and remould itself. Rick had been working so hard, saving up all his money just to get Daryl something nice for a day he usually ignored. Moving forward slowly, Daryl reached out, pulling Rick to him to kiss him softly.  
"I thought you... That we..." Daryl stuttered, biting his lips nervously, gazing at Rick with those beautiful steely blue eyes.  
"Baby, I told you that I love you. About a million times," Rick replied with an easy grin, sweeping his fingers over Daryl's cheek. "I would never do something like that. Besides, I told Merle what I was doing..."  
Daryl jerked back, anger flashing through him. His brother had watched him suffering like this and said nothing?! He had even told Daryl...  
"MERLE!" he roared.


End file.
